


Oh Hopeful Is The Night

by dtbookworm



Category: Little Hope - Fandom, The Dark Pictures: Little Hope (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Andrew is NOT impressed, Andrew is Sarcastic AF, Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Fun, Hurt/Comfort, Identity, Late Night Conversations, Night Terrors, Taylor is the sister Andrew NEEDS, Where Daniel and Taylor are REAL people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27657857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dtbookworm/pseuds/dtbookworm
Summary: Daniel and Taylor check in on Andrew who has another nightmare. Just them comforting Andrew and Taylor and Daniel just driving the detached young man crazy.
Relationships: Andrew & Daniel, Andrew & Taylor, Taylor & Daniel
Comments: 8
Kudos: 32





	Oh Hopeful Is The Night

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I'm excited for writing some Little Hope fan fiction. The game really intrigued me and in my personal opinion, it was much better than Man Of Medan, though I did enjoy that game too. I can't wait to explore Andrew and the ret in other details that have yet to come.

There were a number of things that Taylor wished she could be doing right now. One, actually _sleeping_ in her cozy bed next to her rotating nightlight that oscillated stars across her room. Two, sleeping in her cozy bed with Daniel lying right next to her. Well, they weren't _together_ so that idea was a dud. And three? Well, that pretty much sums it up, but it's freakin' late so her reasons aren't all there. But Daniel sounded really urgent on the phone and automatically she knew what it was about. So, yeah, she threw on her olive green peacoat coat over her tank top and pajama shorts and braved the snowy weather to Lennex Hall where Daniel's dorm was. 

She rounded the corner of the dorm room hall, her arms across her chest. The warmth felt good on her bare legs and she let out a yawn that she made no move to cover up. Hey, she was alone and _tired_. Manners, Schmanners. The only thing that kept her moving was Daniel's voice in her head. _Taylor. Hey. Sorry, but it's...it's Andrew. He's having another one of his nights. Think you can come over?_

At the end of the narrow concrete walled hallway, Daniel leaned against his door with his arms across his chest. He looked as though he was a sentry guarding a secret cove, making sure no one was coming in or out of his room. Taylor couldn't help but smile at him in his white beater shirt and God of War sweatpants that she bought him for his birthday. His hair, usually neat and tidy in that Golf Clubber's style was messy and distorted, making him look boyish and handsome. 

Daniel saw her approach. "Hey T. Sorry for the late wake up call." He pushed himself off the wall. 

"No problem." She cleared her throat, trying to clear the sleep that lingered there and threatened to shut her eyes. "Guess my beauty sleep will have to wait," she said playfully.

Looking more at ease, Daniel relaxed and uncrossed his arm. His smile, warm and sleepy, etched its way into Taylor' heart. It reminded her of lazy Sunday mornings and walking through a park at dusk. "Please, _I_ need it more than you do. All this," he waved a hand over himself, "doesn't jut happen automatically."

Taylor leaned against the wall on her side. The sudden chilliness of the concrete made her think against it and she straightened back up. "Wow. Someone's pretty vain." She smiled. "Your looks will only get you so far, big guy."

"Hey. Not vain. Just confident." He raked his hands through his hair and it transformed into a different style. "Doesn't matter though. Andrew. He..."

Remembering why he called her, and feeling guilty forgetting about Andrew when she was talking to Daniel, Taylor dropped all the playfulness from her voice. "Right. How's he doing?"

"He's awake now." Daniel grabbed the doorknob then turned to Taylor. "Dude'll be happy to see you. I already am."

She brushed off the compliment, but that didn't stop her cheeks and her bare legs to warm up like buttered toast. She always did that to her, made her feel smart and concrete. Ugh. She abhorred cliches, whether they were in sappy rom coms or horror movies where they have one recalcitrant character suggest they split up from the group. And falling for the kind hearted football player? Yeah, it was basically a Nicholas Sparks novel. Cliche City: Population Her. But she welcomed it and all it came with.

The room was cast in an umber glow thanks to Daniel's bedside lamp, the shade of of which was decorated in baseballs and catcher's gloves. His clothes were strewn over his desk chair, some were piled on the floor. His Letterman's jacket was hanging on the closet door handle and underneath it were his loafers. On the wall beside his bed band posters advertised his music and concerts that would be playing when Spring rolled around. The structured chaos of the room made Taylor smile. So he wasn't those spick and span type people. Good. Her adoration for him faltered when she saw the distressed boy sitting up in his own bed.

Andrew was leaning against the headboard of his own bed, dressed in black pajama bottoms and his gray hoodie. His hand was covering his eyes and he breathed in and out as though he was pulled from a Tsunami wave. The sight of him broke Taylor's heart in two as she watched the boy from her Creative Writing class shudder and let out jagged breaths.

"Andrew. Bud. Taylor's here." Daniel closed the door.

Taylor slowly approached Andrew, who still had his hand covering his eyes. "Hey. Everything ok?"

Slowly, like his head was stuck in molasses, the eighteen year old lifted hi head. "Taylor? Oh...I...hey."

The foot of the bed moaned and creaked as Taylor sat down on it. "We can't seem to catch a break, huh?" She playfully punched him in the shoulder 

Andrew sighed and shook his head, the look on his face indicating he was embarrassed and terrified. It was different from the usual look of indifference that was plastered on his face. Like he wasn't even there, but elsewhere. Somewhere....well,Taylor didn't know _where_ , but it definitely wasn't on Earth. "I'm sorry. I told Daniel _not_ to call you."

"But I _did_." The football star sat backwards at his desk chair and stretched out his legs. Crossing his arms over the back of it, he set his sturdy chin on top of them. "So stop with the _I'm sorry's_ man, because you're my boy. Can't have you screaming in the middle of the night and expect me to ignore it."

Taylor nodded in agreement, reaching to push aside strands of hair that latched themselves onto Andrew's sweat stained forehead. "Yeah. 'Sides, who else will keep my nights entertaining?"

Andrew let out a dry laugh that was followed by a cough. "Glad my night terror was a source of entertainment for you both."

Daniel stood and sat on the floor a the space between the two beds. "Hey. Look at this way. Now you've got something new to write about for class. Oh, I can see the title now. "Night Enigma." No, wait, how about "Oh Treacherous Night."

Taylor laughed, hopping onto the band wagon. "Ooh. How about "Terror Is The Night"? Pretty good? Yay? Nay?"

""Ooh, that's good, that's _good_." Daniel pointed at her in enthusiasm. "What else, what else? Um..."

Andrew looked back and forth between the pair. "Ok. Stop. Right now."

"How about "Not So Silent Night?" Taylor looked to Andrew for confirmation. He only fixed her a dead stare that told her he didn't want _any_ part of the shenanigans. "Oh, c'mon, it's a good title."

"Hardly."

Daniel tapped his chin thoughtfully, sucking his teeth in the process. "How about uh...ooh. I got it. Get ready. Gonna blow your minds."

"Uh oh," Taylor said.

"Perfect." Andrew rested his cheek in his palm. A faint smile was forming. "This outta be good."

"You guys doubt my intelligence. Now both of you shut it. Ready?"

Taylor crossed her legs and settled her hands over her knee, rocking back and forth. "We're losing _interest_ ," she said in a sing song voice. "And so is Andrew."

"Oh, believe me, I've lost interest since he started talking," Andrew responded dully.

Daniel held up his finger. "Shush. Now. Drum roll please." He waited expectantly for ten seconds then drew his attention to Taylor. "Uh. Taylor?"

"What?" She asked, her attention taken away from the Salem posters on Andrew's wall.

"I believe I said, _drum roll please_?"

Taylor sighed heavily and obliged. She patted her knee in a rhythm. 

Daniel cleared his throat and fanned his hands as if he was painting a rainbow over their heads. "A Paladin's Terror."

The room was plunged in silence, so much so that all Taylor could hear was the snow falling onto the window pane. A radiator buzzed to life in another room, rattling the pipes hanging over their heads. 

"Daniel?" Taylor said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, T?"

"That. Is. Golden. That's _golden_! Andrew, c'mon. You gotta go with that. It's _fuckin'_ genius."

If there was ever a person who could look more bored, more unamused, more _balls to the walls_ detached, it was Andrew. Taylor laughed as she took in his expression as did Daniel. The two didn't stop and as much as they tried to remember the late hours, they couldn't help the gales of laughter.

Andrew only shook his head in resignation. He let out an elongated sigh and fell back onto his mattress. "You know you guys give English majors a bad name right? Like, you _completely_ just...wow."

Taylor chuckled and fussed with his hair. "Hey. You know you _loved_ it."

"Appreciation for English just right out the window, huh?"

Daniel groaned as he stood and stretched his arms over his head. Taylor tried not to look at his arms as they flexed involuntarily. She imagined him holding her with those arms. "Well, Andrew, bud, how are ya feelin' now?"

"You mean besides unimpressed by your lack of creativity with story titles? Just great thanks." There was an inflection in his voice, something unguarded and genuine that made Taylor smile. She was suddenly glad that she was apart of this school, apart of this Creative Writing Class, apart of this group that couldn't be any more different. It'd be wrong to say they were Heaven sent because they weren't perfect in _any_ way shape or form. And maybe she was being overly sensitive, maybe she was letting false emotions overcome her, letting them make her believe that she was apart of something special when in actuality she was like a jagged puzzle piece. 

But....maybe perfection wasn't required. If imperfection gave her hope that ballooned in her chest, then, hey...bring on the flaws and scars.

"So? Think you can get back to sleep now?" Taylor asked, standing up. 

"Yeah." Andrew patted his pillow, turning it over to the cool side. He buried himself under the covers. "Thanks for checking on me, you guys. Means a lot."

"Any time," Daniel said, shaking his shoulder. "Now take your ass to sleep. 'Cause I'm tired as fuck and I want to impress John tomorrow with my creativity."

"Or lack there of," Taylor mumbled.

"Uh, _what_ was that, T?" He sauntered over to her, his hips swinging in that cocky way of his whenever he scored a touchdown. "You making' fun of me?"

"No."

"I think you _are_."

"No I'm no- Daniel, stay back. Stop looking at me like that. _Daniel_!"

Too late. Before Taylor knew it, before she even began to process it, the young man wrapped his arms around her and, not with the brute force of an agitated quarterback but a gentle giant, wrestled her onto his bed. She laughed and laughed as he refused to let her get up. She relished in his warmth and he pinned her to the bed. They were breathing heavily as they stared at one another. Daniel's eyes, brown as hot chocolate, bored into her and she felt like a marshmallow over a campfire.

"Impressive," Taylor said, here voice barely a whisper.

Daniel shrugged, his shoulder veins bulging. "Gotta work on your defense though."

"I suppose."

An _ahem!_ interrupted their flirting. Both of them turned to see Andrew propping himself on his elbow, the look on his face nothing short of amused. "So. Just gonna ignore that I'm here, huh?"

Taylor and Daniel looked back to one another. The former Wass shocked when Daniel laid his lip on hers and it felt as though she would melt into his comforter. Hope could found in the dreariest of places. That included in a dinky dorm room with a recluse sarcastic boy and a football player with a big heart. But what would become of them once they graduated?

Taylor could only hope.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading people! I'm having fun with these characters. Stick around for more fics! And check out my new chapter of A Dork In Shining Armor, starring Chris and Jessica!


End file.
